Homemade Almond Joy Candy Bar (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Paleo)

Here is my version of an Almond Joy Candy Bar. This recipe uses no dairy, gluten or refined sugars and are much healthier then the original. They taste much more delightful then the store-bought version in my husbands opinion, who was begging me to eat them before I was even able to photograph it.

The coconut center is made with unsweetened shredded coconut, a little coconut oil and coconut butter to bind it together. With two raw, sprouted almonds on top and a thick chocolate coating, the candy bar is complete. I double dipped each candy bar in a rich and smooth chocolate made with cacao butter.

I have been asked many times before what exactly coconut butter is and there seems to be a lot of confusion between coconut butter, coconut cream, coconut oil, etc. Coconut butter is simply unsweetened dried shredded coconut processed in a high speed blender or food processor until the oils are released and it turns into a smooth creamy paste, like peanut butter. Sometimes coconut butter is also referred as coconut cream. Coconut cream can also mean the cream that forms on top of a can of coconut milk when left in the fridge for over 12 hours. Below are two brands of coconut butter, but if you have dried shredded coconut and a high speed blender or food processor you can make your own for much cheaper.

Emily, In this recipe the cacao butter is used to make the melted chocolate chips thinner and smoother. When you melt chocolate chips it is thick and difficult to dip anything in it. You can use coconut oil instead. Add one teaspoon at the time until you achieve the right consistency.

Can I use coconut nectar instead of honey, and do you think I can substitute unsweetened chocolate for the chips (and perhaps add 1 TBSP of nectar)? I can’t handle the sweetener in the chips. I can barely handle hone.

Yes, you can use coconut nectar in place of honey. As for substituting unsweetened chocolate for the chocolate chips, you can certainly do that. I would suggest though that you process the coconut sugar in a food processor or coffee grinder first until powdery or your chocolate will have a grainy consistency.

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